From Gross Salary to Take-Home Pay
Your paycheck goes through several deductions before it reaches your bank account: any pre-tax 401(k) contribution, federal income tax (calculated progressively across brackets after your standard deduction), and FICA payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare). This calculator applies the official 2026 IRS figures to estimate what actually lands in your account.
2026 Federal Tax Brackets (Single)
| Rate | Income Range |
|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 |
| 12% | $12,400 – $50,400 |
| 22% | $50,400 – $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,700 – $201,775 |
| 32% | $201,775 – $256,225 |
| 35% | $256,225 – $640,600 |
| 37% | over $640,600 |
Married Filing Jointly brackets are roughly double at every level except the top one. The 2026 standard deduction is $16,100 (single) or $32,200 (MFJ).
FICA: Social Security & Medicare
Social Security tax is 6.2% on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500 — earnings above that are not taxed for Social Security. Medicare is 1.45% with no cap, plus an extra 0.9% on income above $200,000 (single) / $250,000 (MFJ).
Worked Example
A single filer earning $75,000/year, contributing 5% to a 401(k), paid bi-weekly: taxable income after the 401(k) and standard deduction is about $55,150, federal tax ≈ $6,590/year, FICA ≈ $5,738/year, 401(k) ≈ $3,750/year. Net annual pay ≈ $58,920, or about $2,266 per paycheck.
State and local income tax, health insurance premiums and other benefit deductions are not included — actual take-home pay will typically be lower.